On Friday, May 6, after three failed attempts to vote for a recommended budget, the New Hanover County School Board finally voted 4 to 2 to send the county commissioners a request for a $17 an hour minimum with a 1% step increase for all classified staff.
At the Tuesday, April 5, New Hanover County Board of Education meeting, board members voted unanimously to end the suspensions of students under 8 years old, except in the cases of weapons, drugs, and violent assaults. The new rule will be effective starting next school year.
For the last year, advocates have called for a ban on suspensions of 4-to-7-year old students, with exceptions for extreme cases like gun and drug possession, and violence. Board members generally support ending the practice, but the majority argued that staff and administration need more time to develop disciplinary alternatives to suspension.
At Tuesday night’s New Hanover County School Board meeting, members heard the results of the district’s long-awaited Title IX survey which included some disturbing numbers. The board also had a tense debate about the power of the board chair over meeting management and heard the latest data on the contentious issue of suspensions.